The Landing Gear
Tom Waits says
quite often when vultures
are flying around
looking for a place to land,
that it takes them so long sometimes
because they weigh so little,
less than a pound in some cases.
They have to ride the wind
a certain way
to negate that weightlessness.
They have to
surmise the tides
of the sky to safely find
the proper place
to lay down to find
those tasty treats that
have perished
along the devils grass
of the countryside.
They get so full
after they gorge themselves
on this fine roadside dining
that they must throw up
to be able to take off again.
What a way to live,
to know that dinner
is gonna be great,
but that you're gonna have
to barf to travel once more!
I think of this
as I see
the graceful drift
of turkey vulture in the sky,
their wings rippling
as their face,
pinched with anxiety
at the thought
of the landing gear
failing
once more.
(This piece was also the Poem of the Week over at Walden's Poetry back in August, 2024. https://waldenspoetry.com/2024/08/19/poem-of-the-week-the-landing-gear/)
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